History

Conception and creation

PrincessLeia Organa's slave costume was created partially in response to complaints by Carrie Fisher about the lack of interesting costumes her character wore in A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Fisher felt one could not tell "she was a woman"[5] from the wardrobe, and said of it years later, "I got one, sorry, two dresses, and the first one (looks) the same all the way around."[6]Star Wars creator George Lucas gave the Return of the Jedi costume department only general instructions when it came to Princess Leia Organa's slave costume, but it was clear to them he wanted something special for the outfit; costume designerAggie Guerard Rodgers recalled, "His eyes started sparkling when we talked about it."[7]

The costume designers made a mold of Carrie Fisher's torso so it could be designed to a custom fit. Rodgers and the staff created multiple versions of the outfit to accommodate different scenes in the film, including a hard metal piece for scenes in which Fisher remained still, and a rubber outfit she and stuntwoman Tracy Eddon could wear comfortably while performing stunts;[7] Eddon wore the latter costume when she swung from Jabba's sail barge with Mark Hamill's stunt double, Colin Skeaping.[5] The outfit was lined with leather so it would not chafe Fisher's body. Rodgers originally wanted the costume's fabrics to be twenty-five yards long and flow throughout Jabba's palace, but the costume department could not make the concept work. Regarding fans who want to make their own slave Leia costume, Rodgers said, "There's a lot of stretchy fabric out there. I would use rubberized material from anywhere. And hand stitch it so there are no big explosions when you're walking about."[7]

Carrie Fisher and crew reaction

"I remember that iron bikini I wore in Episode VI: what supermodels will eventually wear in the seventh ring of hell."

Prior to the filming of Return of the Jedi, Lucas invited Fisher to San Francisco to show her a picture of the costume. Fisher said he showed her the picture "to frighten me into exercise, I think. He succeeded."[9] Fisher was also asked to tone her body in such a way that she would have no lines or wrinkles around her waist for her scenes in which she sat up straight in front of Jabba.[9]

In the 1990s, Carrie Fisher would show Return of the Jedi to her daughter, Billie Catherine Lourd, who fell asleep the first time she saw it. During her first scenes in the slave costume, Fisher said she thought, "Oh my God, there is me with the good body,"[6] and tried to wake her, saying, "You are going to get this body, so pay attention."[6] Despite her daughter's indifference, Fisher later said in a Star Wars Insider interview, "but it's not a bad body to get, and of course I didn't know that at the time (of filming). We were all younger then."

One of the moldmakers became extremely excited to learn that he would be doing the body-casting of Carrie Fisher and talked about it every day. The production department became concerned about the situation and, at the last minute, gave the job to another moldmaker. Peterson recalled, "If he had just kept his mouth shut and not been so enthusiastic, they would have let him go through with it."[8] Similarly, Rodgers said many of the Return of the Jedi crew were men who "really enjoyed being on the set" during Fisher's scenes with the costume.[7]

Filming Return of the Jedi

The metal framework that held the top together did not move well with the costume, and it proved difficult to keep the costume in place during filming; several scenes had to be re-shot due to "wardrobe malfunctions."[5] Fisher did not believe in the industry standard solution of using double-sided tape, so it became necessary for a wardrobe person to check whether her breasts were still secure and snug within the costume top after each take.[5] Fisher said the costume "drove the wardrobe person nuts."[10] Fisher herself also found the costume to be difficult to endure and referred to it as "what supermodels will eventually wear in the seventh ring of hell."[11] Fisher also said it was particularly revealing to the cast and crew around her.[6][12] In particular Jeremy Bulloch, the actor who played Boba Fett, could see more of the actress than she was comfortable with.[12] In an interview years later, she said, "if you stood behind me you could see straight to Florida. You'll have to ask Boba Fett about that."[6]

Princess Leia wears the costume in Return of the Jedi for exactly 150 seconds of combined screen time, including facial closeups and shots of stunt doubles and visual effect images.[13] Prior to the theatrical release of Return of the Jedi, artistKazuhiko Sano was hired to create the "Style B" poster, the first Jedi poster to feature a collage of characters. Sano was given no specific art direction, and his original sketches were largely accepted by Lucasfilm with few changes. The only specific request officials made to Sano was to replace an existing image of Leia Organa with one of the princess wearing her slave costume.[14]

Carrie Fisher also donned the suit on the cover of an August 1983 issue of Rolling Stone, to publicize the magazine's interview with George Lucas entitled "Star Wars Goes on Vacation." The cover photo, shot by photographer Aaron Rapoport, includes Leia Organa sitting on a towel at a beach, laughing and holding hands with an Ewok; standing behind them are Darth Vader holding a boombox and a Gamorrean guard holding a beach ball.[15]

Fan following

"Jabba put her into the outfit to humiliate her, but Leia was such a strong character, her will made the costume empowering."

Leia Organa's slave costume has become a popular outfit among female fans at fan conventions like Comic-Con International, Dragon Con, and Celebration;[7][16][17][18][19] group photos of women dressed in the costume is often among the most crowded and popular exhibits at such events.[16] Many women who wear the costume say they enjoy the attention it affords them from male fans, who often ask to have their picture taken with them; the costume is also popular among fetishists who imagine the slave Leia physically assaulting them.[17] Men and babies are occasionally dressed as slave Leia at conventions, although on a far less common basis.[16]

Leia's Metal Bikini, a fansite dedicated specifically to Leia's slave costume,[18] was launched in May2002.[20] The site was created and is maintained by Jamin Fite, who said he was inspired after he saw a photo of a female fan dressed in the costume; prior to that, Fite said, "I didn't even know girls were into Star Wars."[19] The site includes images, video clips, information about where to buy a costume, instructions on how to build one, and pictures of more than 280 female fans dressed in the costume. The site has been featured on such television channels as G4 and Spike and such magazines as Wired.[18] During a broadcast from Celebration IV, Spike television personality Nicole Malgarini (wearing the Slave Leia costume herself) referred to Fite as the "slavemaster"[19] and "the pimp of Star Wars.[19]

E! Entertainment Television ranked Carrie Fisher's slave costume scenes in Return of the Jedi at number sixteen in its August 2007 television special, "25 Most Memorable Swimsuit Moments."[11] Several celebrities commented on the outfit during the E! special. Swimsuitdesigner Lisa Curran said the popularity of Leia's slave costume demonstrates the allure and popularity of the bikini swimsuit, even in a science fiction setting. Joel Stein, a Los Angeles Timescolumnist, said the costume demonstrates how the power of clothing and circumstances can change a viewer's perception of a person who had not previously been considered attractive; Stein said, "It's like, 'We didn't think of Princess Leia sexually. Oh! Chain her up to a really disgusting creature? We've got a hard-on."[11] Actor Jon Abrahams said, "She's in robes all the time, and then it's just like, 'That's what's under those robes? Holy smokes.'"[11]Stand-up comedienneChelsea Handler said, "Carrie Fisher had a great body back then, and she had to, because she was wearing cinnamon buns for ears throughout the entire shoot of Star Wars."[11]ComediansRandy and Jason Sklar joked that Jabba, not Leia, looked attractive in that scene, and Sklar said, "He was Jared from Subway before Jared from Subway was Jared from Subway." Celebrity stylist Peter Ishkans joked that the costume probably sexually aroused Chewbacca.[11]

The costume is alluded to in Shield of Lies, the second novel in the The Black Fleet Crisis trilogy. Nanaod Engh, the First Administrator of the New Republic'sGeneral Ministry, tries to encourage Chief of State Princess Leia to buff up her public image, to which Leia responds, "Now you want me to give interviews? What next? … Let myself be recorded dancing for Han in a Huttese slave-girl costume?"[33] Earlier in that novel, Luke Skywalker visited a bar called Jabba's Throne Room, a faithful replica of the room in Jabba's palace. Luke notes many of the waitresses are scantily-clad, and upon hearing the name Leia, he fears the evening's entertainment would be "a dance by a slave-girl-Leia look-alike."[33]

The outfit also appeared in a vision Leia Organa Solo experienced in Planet of Twilight, the third novel in what is often called the Callista trilogy. Leia Organa Solo, in her struggle to come to terms with her Force powers, experiences a vision of herself having followed two possible alternate fates. In one, she is the Empress of the Galactic Empire, having ascended the throne of Palpatine. In the other, she is huddled submissively at the foot of that throne wearing the slave costume she was forced to wear by Jabba. In that vision, she appears to have given up: she sobs, her eyes are downcast and she looks beaten and defeated. When the Empress Leia stands, her robe is drawn back and she is revealed to also be wearing the golden bikini costume, but it is instead worn as a symbol of strength and power, with shining gold and flashing jewels. The Empress Leia treats the Slave Leia roughly, as a symbol of the differences between the two possible alternatives.[34]

In George Lucas in Love, a 1999 student film portraying a young George Lucas conceiving Star Wars at film school, an attractive woman in a yellow bikini feeds a shirtless, obese man who laughs in a similar way to Jabba the Hutt; although the rest of the woman's outfit did not resemble Carrie Fisher's costume, the scene is portrayed as the inspiration for the slave outfit.[38] In "Hunt for Ziro", the ninth episode of the third season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, several Twi'lek dancers wore outfits similar Leia's slave outfit. While some were golden like Leia's original, others were bronze and copper.[39]

Appearances in pop culture

"Yeah, oh, Princess Leia and the gold bikini, every guy our age loved that. It's huge. That's the moment when she stopped being a princess and became, you know, a woman!"

Friends

The third season premiere of the hit sitcomFriends revolved largely around a sexual fantasy Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) harbors about Princess Leia in her slave costume. The episode, titled "The One with the Princess Leia Fantasy," was written by Michael Curtis and Gregory S. Malins, and first aired on September 19, 1996. Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) asked her boyfriend Ross whether he has any fantasies, and he reluctantly admits the "gold bikini thing"[40] Leia wears in Return of the Jedi "was pretty cool."[40]Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) later confirms to Rachel that she is familiar with the popular fantasy and has worn the costume herself; Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) also confirms to Ross that he, too, had the same fantasy. At the end of the episode, Rachel wears a replica of the Princess Leia slave uniform and tries to seduce Ross. His fantasy, however, is ruined when he unwittingly visualizes his mother dressed in the suit, due to a conversation earlier in the episode in which Chandler said sex is sometimes ruined for him when he pictures his mother at inopportune moments.[40] George Lucas reportedly sent the Friends production team a letter complimenting and congratulating them on the episode.[41]

Family Guy

The costume, as well as a parody of Jabba the Hutt, were featured briefly in an episode from the second season of Family Guy. The episode, titled "He's Too Sexy for His Fat," first aired on June 27, 2000, involves character Chris Griffin becoming self-conscious about his weight problem. Chris's father, Peter, assures Chris he is not fat, but that he comes from "a long line of husky Griffins"[42] like his great-great uncle "Jabba the Griffin."[42] The episode then cuts for a few seconds to a scene in what appears to be Jabba's Palace with a Hutt-like creature that looks like Jabba with Peter Griffin's hair, glasses, and chin. Jabba the Griffin is clutching a chain connected to a female slave wearing a variation of the slave Leia costume. The costume and veils, however, are silver rather than gold, and the costume bears little true resemblance to the actual outfit.[42] In the ninth season episode "It's a Trap!", the role of Princess Leia is played by Lois Griffin, who dons the costume during the sequences as in the film. When Chris Griffin, portraying Luke, enters, he appears surprised, and she informs him "I wasn't raped, okay?". The costume itself is not referenced.[43]

World of Warcraft

Princess Moira Bronzebeard, a level fifty-five elite dwarf character in the 2004 massively multiplayer online role-playing gameWorld of Warcraft, wears an outfit similar to Leia Organa's slave costume, and has a hairstyle identical to Leia's famous "cinnamon buns" hairdo. Like the slave costume, Bronzebeard's outfit includes a gold brassiere, steel armbands and a veils flowing from the front and back of the panty, although Bronzebeard's veils are larger than those of the Leia costume; it also includes steel designs between the brassiere and panty that are not part of the original costume. Within the game, Bronzebeard appears in the Blackrock Depths during a mission in which the player must kill her husband, Emperor Dagran Thaurissan. Bronzebeard assists Thaurissan by healing him during the battle. Killing Thaurissan and talking to Bronzebeard launches new quests for both of the game's major political factions, the Alliance and the Horde.[44]

American Dad!

Two girls wear a costume identical to the slave Leia costume in the first season finale of the American Dad! cartoon. The episode, titled "Tears of a Clooney," first aired on May 14, 2006, and including a subplot in which Roger the Alien grows a vineyard in the back yard and adopts several foster children to tend to it like slaves. When Steve Smith complains about sharing a room with them, Roger assigns two attractive young ladies to serve as his personal assistant. At one point, Steve relaxes on a lawn chair while one of the girls fans him, and the other sits chained at his feet in a similar manner to Leia Organa in Return of the Jedi. When Child Protective Services comes to take the children away, the two girls briefly choke Steve with their chains in the same fashion in which Jabba the Hutt was killed. Steve says to them, "I let you kiss each other while I watched and this is how you repay me?"[45]

Robot Chicken: Star Wars

The slave Leia costume makes a cameo during Robot Chicken: Star Wars, a Star Wars-themed special of the show Robot Chicken, which aired on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on June 17, 2007. During one sketch, George Lucas attends a fan convention and is chased by an obsessive mob of fans dressed as various characters and aliens from the Star Wars films. One of the fans is an overweight woman wearing a replica of the Leia's slave bikini. Lucas is rescued from the mob by a nerd dressed as a Tauntaun.[46] In its sequel, Leia takes off her outfit to reveal her slave outfit when lusting after Boba Fett in the opening scene, during a telling of the ultimate Star Wars fantasy from the nerd from episode 1.[47]

Chuck

The sixth episode of Chuck, an action-comedy series about a nondescript computer-whiz-turned-spy, prominently features the slave Leia costume. The episode aired October 29, 2007. Sarah Walker, a Central Intelligence Agency spy played by Australian actress Yvonne Strahovski, gives protagonist Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) an engineered photo of the two of them dressed as Han Solo and Princess Leia in the slave costume, at a comic book convention. The photo serves as a cover story that the two are in a romantic relationship; Chuck likes the photo, but laments that the two had never been to a real convention together and are not a real couple. During a Halloween party at the end of the episode, Sarah appears wearing her own slave Leia costume, much to the delight of Chuck and the other male guests. Chuck and Sarah take another, genuine photo of each other together in the costumes. When Chuck asks Sarah where she got the costume, she replies, "Oh, the CIA can make anything."[50]

Deal or No Deal

The Leia Organa slave costume was featured prominently in the Star Wars-themed episode of television game showDeal or No Deal on April 28, 2008. Contestants in the show choose monetary values from numbered suitcases in order to try to win the most money, and the suitcases are opened by supermodels wearing different outfits in each episode. In this episode, the models wore slave Leia costumes; the show also included appearances from Imperialstormtroopers, R2-D2, Chewbacca, George Lucas and Carrie Fisher.[51]

Bring Back…Star Wars

The slave Leia costume was featured in the opening seconds of the Star Wars episode of Bring Back…, a comedic British television series in which host Justin Lee Collins locates and interviews people from music, TV or film backgrounds and tries to reunite them for a performance or reinvent their previous works. The episode, which aired September 14, 2008, begins with Collins sitting on a couch in his underwear, pretending to be Jabba the Hutt. Famous slave leia model Christy Marie dressed in an exact replica of Leia's costume sits upright on the floor, attached to a chain held by Collins.[52] After a brief introduction to the episode, Collins speaks in Huttese to Christy, then pretends to pull her closer and laughs like Jabba. Christy makes a disgusted reaction and noise similar to the one Carrie Fisher made when Jabba extends his tongue toward her in Return of the Jedi. Later in the episode, Collins interviewed Carrie Fisher, who talked about the lack of double-sided tape in wearing the bikini; Fisher also joked that George Lucas currently has the bikini and "he wears it all the time, and he just won't let anybody else have it." Collins also joked to Fisher, "That bikini, I'm blind in my left eye, and that's because of you."[53]

Fanboys

Actress Kristen Bell donned the slave Leia costume in the 2009 film Fanboys, a comedy film about a group of friends who decide to break into Skywalker Ranch to steal an early print of The Phantom Menace. Photos released of Bell in the costume were met with great admiration from male fans in the blogosphere.[54][55] Mike Sampson of JoBlo.com wrote of the Kristen Bell pictures, "Nerds, I hope you are sitting down. I also hope you're wearing clean underwear. The following will blow your Mountain Dew soaked brain,"[54] and Egotastic! bloggers wrote, "Princess Leia's Gold Bikini is arguably the hottest moment in all of Geekdom, and to have a girl like Kristen Bell filling out those gold chains is making my head explode."[55]

Merchandise

"Star Wars is based on nothing on Earth. It's all in outer space (but the costume) is showing no matter where you are, it's a bathing suit and men find it very attractive."

Official merchandise

Although the Kenner toy company released action figures of Princess Leia in various outfits after the theatrical release of Return of the Jedi, her slave costume was deemed too risque to warrant its own toy. The first slave Leia toy, which was called "Jabba's Prisoner," was not released until 1997 in Hasbro's "Power of the Force" collection. A deluxe version was released a few years later, packaged with a sail barge cannon and a fabric loincloth.[56] A 6 3/4-inches tall and 11-inches wide statue was released by Gentle Giant Ltd. after a sneak peek at the 2006 Comic-Con International in San Diego, California.[57] The Rubies Costumes company released a Princess Leia slave costume in 2008 as part of their "Secret Wishes" line of alluring women's costumes.[58]

Fan-made creations

Artist David Johnson created a statuette of Princess Leia trapped in carbonite while wearing her slave costume.[59] Only one version of the eight-inch tall polymer clay sculpture was made; it sold on eBay for $70.99 plus $10 shipping on June 3, 2008.[60]Comic book artist Adam Hughes created a lithograph of Leia in the slave costume, sitting on Jabba's sail barge on Tatooine clutching a vibro-axe and surrounded by bowls of fruit. The image is a fake poster of a show hosted by "Jabba Cruises" called "Last Daughter of Alderaan," also starring "Sarlacc the Magnificent." Exactly 250 editions were created specifically for Celebration IV and sold for $349 each.[61]